Schools in North Ayrshire will receive £4.9m in 2017/18 to help close the poverty-related attainment gap, the SNP Government has announced.

More than £45 million of dedicated funding is being provided to primary and secondary schools across Scotland in 2017/18 to help pupils from low-income backgrounds succeed at school.

The Scottish Attainment Challenge prioritises improvements in literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing of children adversely affected by poverty in Scotland’s primary and secondary schools. This funding takes the Challenge Authorities and Schools Programme into its third successive year.

Nine local authorities and an additional 72 individual schools have been allocated funding from the Scottish Attainment Challenge, for education initiatives and projects targeting Scotland’s most deprived children.

Commenting, local MSP Kenneth Gibson said: “Improving the education and life chances of our children and young people is the defining mission of the SNP Government.

“This funding of £4,874,620 has been provided to North Ayrshire Council and is in addition to the £4,392,000 that has been allocated directly to school head teachers in North Ayrshire this year through the Pupil Equity Fund, which goes to every school based on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals.

“This latest round of funding will ensure that schools where the need is greatest have substantial additional funding for the coming year to improve literacy, numeracy, health and well-being.

“I’m delighted that schools in North Ayrshire will benefit from this funding, targeted to improve the life chances of children and young people in Scotland.”